David Merritt

Proud to share a strong example of how Bell is working with Canadian enterprises to modernize their contact centres! It's great to see our expanded Bell and Genesys teams working together to support the Government of Canada on this important transformation

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🔐 Ensure Compliance with Canadian Data Privacy Laws 🇨🇦 With PIPEDA and FIPPA evolving, staying compliant isn't optional — it's essential. Here’s how to stay ahead: 1️⃣ Encrypt Your Data – Protect sensitive info in emails. Solutions: Microsoft, Veeam, Symantec. 2️⃣ Train Your Team – Spot phishing before it spreads. Use tools like BullPhish. 3️⃣ Audit Regularly – Stay accountable with scheduled reviews via TrustArc. 4️⃣ Automate Retention – Manage data lifecycle with Microsoft, Acronis, or Veritas. ✅ Let’s talk about your compliance strategy — we're here to help. #CyberSecurity #DataPrivacy #CanadianCompliance #MSP #PIPEDA #FIPPA #DataProtection #ITSecurity #ManagedServices

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Thanks to the Calgary IT Pro Community Association for the opportunity to present on Hybrid Development with Azure Logic Apps to their members. We had an hour session with a fantastic group of technology professionals; discussing the benefits of using Azure Logic Apps to blend pro and low code development patterns together to deliver and architect software solutions. A few of the highlights were: 1) Hybrid development is the future Building using only pro or low code limits the potential of software solutions being created. Each development technique has its advantages and disadvantages. Blending them together offers massive advantages for building reliable and maintainable solutions quickly. 2) Logic Apps is your hybrid development technology of choice Azure Logic Apps offers everything you could want as a pro code and low code developer. The flexibility of switching and intermixing the two has never been better. Improvements have been steadily increasing with inline code support in JavaScript, C# and PowerShell, Automated Unit Testing, .NET Custom Code and the 1000s for connectors, to name a few. 3) AI on logic apps is really powerful We discussed the power of AI briefly at the end of the presentation with a showcase of Agent Loop. With integrations with AI Foundry, AI Search and all of the connectors already available, Logic Apps is an extremely powerful tool for AI integration. Thanks again to Luke Demeter, Ahmed A., Dave Fulton, Chris Chisholm and Calgary IT Pro Community Association for providing a platform for speaking about this exciting topic. #LogicAppsAviators #Azure

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The Government of Ontario just announced a major AI infrastructure expansion with Microsoft. More data centers. more capacity, more “innovation.” Sounds like progress, right? But let’s slow down for a second… Because building AI infrastructure isn’t just about technology, it’s about control. Who owns the compute… controls the AI economy. And when governments partner with hyperscalers, the question isn’t just how much investment? It’s… who captures the value? Local businesses? Public sector innovation? Or mostly the same global players… scaling even faster? Don’t get me wrong, this is necessary. But necessary doesn’t always mean balanced. So here’s the real question: Are we building national AI capability… Or just expanding someone else’s platform? What do you think? https://lnkd.in/erXVVcmY #AI #artificialintelligence #AIinfrastructure #cloudcomputing #CTO #CEO #CDO #dofthings #microsoft #ontario #canada

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We are excited to have Cymulate as a Senior Supporter Presenter at the National Canada Transformation Assembly this Wednesday, on September 10. Aris Bega, Enterprise Solutions Engineer, Cymulate, will present on “From Silos to Threat Resilience: Building CTEM Together.” Security leaders recognize that patching everything or relying solely on reactive defenses is insufficient. Analysts project that security teams that implement continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) will experience 50% fewer successful cyberattacks. Most CISOs see this benefit, with 89% of security leaders planning to invest in CTEM within the next year. As organizations move toward proactive security and CTEM, the initial challenge is breaking down organizational barriers and foster collaboration across teams. Security operations, vulnerability management, red teams, and cyber threat intelligence each contribute essential expertise that, when shared, enables the organization to tackle its most critical weaknesses and cyber risks collaboratively. Join Cymulate to learn how CISOs and security leaders can develop CTEM programs with aligned teams to identify priorities that demand immediate action and respond swiftly to strengthen threat resilience. Learn more about the agenda: https://lnkd.in/eHCBi2Cu Register to join us at the Canada Assembly and upcoming 2025 fall events https://lnkd.in/gWn7PrUU Learn about being a sponsor with Apex Assembly: https://lnkd.in/g-JkkxSn #ApexMembership #WhereLeadersAssemble #CIO #CTO #CISO #CDO #CSuite

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Today's read: Albion Partners with Tecnotree Corporation to Deliver Managed #VAS Platform for TELUS Voicemail Modernization📣 https://lnkd.in/gCBWGwHR Albion, a leading provider of telecom managed services and solutions, announced that TELUS has selected Albion, in partnership with Tecnotree, to deliver a next-generation Value-Added Services (VAS) platform, with an… Read the full story by visiting the link above. ⬆️ Never miss a beat in telecoms. Catch the latest news on The Fast Mode 🚀

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Blue Mantis has acquired Coreio Inc., marking a significant expansion of our ServiceNow consulting and managed services portfolio and our reach into the Canadian market. Coreio’s reputation for technical excellence and client-centric innovation perfectly aligns with our mission to deliver secure, next-generation IT solutions. With this acquisition, recurring services now represent over 60% of our business, further strengthening our growth and stability. Together, we’ll offer clients enhanced workflow automation, AI-powered service delivery, and robust digital transformation capabilities. We welcome the Coreio team and look forward to delivering even greater value to our customers! Read more in our press release: https://okt.to/CSdKDB #LetsMeetTheFuture #ITnews #OneTeamOneMantis #ITChannel #ServiceNow

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As of January 2026, Cloud Managed Networks (CMN) is a Select Partner for Google Workspace within the Google Cloud Partner Network, supporting organizations across Canada. Through this collaboration, CMN provides Google Workspace licensing, deployment, and advisory services, combining Google Workspace cloud-based productivity tools with our expertise in security, education, and public sector environments. Organizations can benefit from: • Canadian-dollar invoicing for Google Workspace licenses • Canadian-based support aligned with local regulatory and compliance requirements • Licensing guidance and optimization • Remote, cloud-based deployment anywhere in Canada CMN’s Select Partner status reflects our investment in training, certification, and technical specialization to help ensure customers receive informed, reliable, and compliant support through a trusted Canadian partner. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/emhR34GZ

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SaaS Compliance in Canada Isn’t Optional 🇨🇦 Secure, offsite, auditable backups are a must. From encryption to ATIP-ready retention, Revyz helps #Jira & #Confluence users meet every government requirement. 📌 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gSGW7qfj #SaaSCompliance #JiraBackup #ConfluenceBackup #CloudSecurity #GovTech

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A large Canadian water utility engaged Red Clay Consulting to provide post-implementation managed services for their Oracle cloud-based CC&B implementation to leverage the latest capabilities and ensure client and staff satisfaction. Red Clay provided maintenance support services for the utility’s water, wastewater, and stormwater billing system, which were beyond the basic license and product support provided by Oracle. These services included:   ▶ Emergency Maintenance, to perform urgent configuration or code changes or modifications to the application to re-instate the application; ▶ Corrective Maintenance, to perform configuration changes or modifications to the application to correct and resolve incidents or errors; ▶ Preventative Maintenance, to perform configuration changes or modifications to the application to correct faults to prevent problems and incidents as requested by the utility; ▶ Providing support for both testing and deployment of patches, fixes, and service packs that are reviewed and approved by the utility as they are released and provided by Oracle; ▶ Diagnosis and troubleshooting; configuration; testing; deployment; patching; validation and related activities for CC&B), Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher, and scheduled jobs and batches, including required integrations; ▶ Providing supplement technical and business operational experience and expertise supporting the application, including critical business integrations.   The Red Clay Elevate360 engagement ensured that issues found after going live did not impact customer service quality metrics. Utility staff also benefited from rapid access to application professionals, reinforcing system training and facilitating knowledge transfer.   Red Clay has successfully met the utility’s SLAs and raised staff satisfaction levels with the new enterprise customer information system. We proudly work with our clients to enhance their Oracle enterprise systems capabilities. If you’re a utility and want to learn more about how Red Clay is helping others achieve their digital transformation goals, click the link below to request our case study. Or contact us to begin your own digital transformation journey. https://lnkd.in/ez5NUVrt Be sure to Follow Red Clay on LinkedIn for more insights on how we can assist in your digital transformation.

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Public cloud gets the headlines. Hybrid cloud gets the nuance. For many Canadian enterprises, the smartest cloud strategy is not either-or. It is understanding where each model fits. We break it down here: https://hubs.la/Q046Jd0f0 #HybridCloud #PublicCloud #CloudStrategy #EnterpriseIT #CloudModernization

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What does the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) have to do with IBM Maximo? Glad you asked. MTCC has been a long-time Maximo user — and they’ve just completed a major transformation: moving from on-premise Maximo to IBM Maximo Application Suite (MAS) SaaS on IBM Cloud. Here’s what changed: From On-Prem Maximo on SQL Server + a 3rd-party mobile solution To IBM MAS SaaS on DB2 + Maximo Mobile And the results? ✅ Zero data loss ✅ Minimal impact during the DB conversion ✅ A smooth transition to Maximo Mobile with minimal training ✅ A flawless go-live experience This successful go-live positions MTCC to operate at peak performance, strengthening maintenance and operational readiness across the facility and helping ensure every visitor has a seamless, rewarding experience. Best-of-breed facility operations. Best-of-breed with IBM Maximo. And best-of-breed implementation with MRM-EAM as the transformation partner. #IBMMaximo #MaximoApplicationSuite #MAS #SaaS #FacilityManagement #AssetManagement #EAM #MTCC #MRMEAM #DigitalTransformation #MaximoMobile

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Downtown Toronto today with some of the Architech team at the Microsoft Partner event, and the message is clear: AI success starts with the right foundations. Microsoft put a spotlight on the technical advantages of the Azure stack (from cloud databases to enterprise-grade security) showing how they address real concerns around security posture, scalability, and speed to innovate. The reality is that AI doesn’t exist in a vacuum. To get beyond proofs of concept, organizations need solid infrastructure, governance, and cloud-native design. Other themes: 1. AI is everywhere. Microsoft is embedding AI into every partner motion. 2. Microsoft + Nvidia partnership is unlocking compute and model performance at a scale that makes once-intractable problems solvable, driving breakthroughs across industries from healthcare to manufacturing to agriculture. 3. Adoption is about alignment. Success with GenAI depends on matching the right technology and approach to a company’s goals, rather than chasing hype. The focus is shifting from experimentation to purposeful outcomes. 4. The rise of frontier firms. Leaders will rewire around agents that handle knowledge, workflows, and customer interactions. Those that master agentic delivery will set the pace, leaving others scrambling to catch up. The conversation today reinforced that the gap between leaders and laggards is about to widen. And tomorrow it continues with the #MicrosoftAITour in Toronto: a full day of keynotes, labs, and hands-on sessions to show how to put this into practice. We’ll be there. If you are too, let’s connect. #MicrosoftAITour #Azure #AI #Toronto

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Expanding sovereign controls for Microsoft 365 Copilot in Canada: We are taking another step toward strengthening digital sovereignty in Canada. Soon Canadian customers will have the option to process all Microsoft 365 Copilot interactions within Canada rather than through foreign datacentres.   This capability helps organizations create greater digital sovereignty, simplify compliance with Canadian regulations, and improve performance through reduced latency. It’s part of our broader commitment to give customers more control and trust as they adopt AI and cloud technologies. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gA5SarWh

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Insight has been recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies for 2025. Reem Gedeon, SVP and GM Canada of Insight, discussed the company’s transformation from a VAR/reseller to a solutions integrator, emphasizing an “AI-first, human-led” approach that prioritizes outcome-based engagements and partner ecosystems. Key internal transformation initiatives include: - A company-wide “flight academy” aimed at building AI skills. - Insight acting as client zero to test and refine solutions. - The launch of Insight AI to provide production-grade solutions with governance, security, and measurable ROI. Reem also introduced Prism, an internal tool for evaluating business priorities, data estate readiness, measurability, and adoption metrics to identify high-value use cases. She highlighted the rapid pace of AI change, the necessity for leadership adoption, and workforce redesign to enhance human work, along with the importance of integrating cybersecurity into modernization efforts. Check out the full interview at eChannelNEWS! Want more? Subscribe!

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If a doctor who actually listens gets better outcomes, imagine what a consulting team that actually listens can do. We have delivered 40+ enterprise M365 and Azure engagements across Canada. Looking back at the ones that went really well versus the ones that were just fine, the difference was rarely technical. The engagements where someone on the client side felt comfortable saying "honestly, we have no idea what state our AD is in" early on? Those were the ones where we could actually solve something real. The ones where the internal team pushed back on our approach and made us rethink it? Those produced better outcomes than anything we could have designed on our own. The ones where the client asked hard questions before signing and kept asking them throughout? Those became the relationships that outlasted the project. Every client we have worked with closely has eventually asked some version of the same three things. Have you done this before, in an environment like ours? What does our team look like after you leave? Who is actually showing up on day one? We love those questions. They tell us the client is thinking about the right things. We built BITSUMMIT around the idea that when people feel safe enough to say what is really going on, the work gets better. The outcomes become real. And the relationship is worth something after the engagement closes. That is the only case study that matters to us. What has made you feel comfortable enough to be fully honest with an outside team? Would love to hear what that looked like. #MicrosoftPartner #Azure #M365 #ITConsulting #BITSUMMIT

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Bell’s tech services brand, Ateko, backed by Bell Canada, has just made a significant acquisition to strengthen its ServiceNow capabilities. PAMT Consulting, a firm specializing in ServiceNow optimization, has joined the Bell group of companies. Their team is renowned for its technical expertise and will be a valuable addition to Ateko’s experience in supporting business transformations across North America. Welcome to #TeamBell, PAMT! To learn more about Ateko, visit: https://lnkd.in/eZGwP8fc #IWorkAtBell

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The February edition of Tech Trends by CDW Canada is out. It looks at the small gaps most teams don’t notice until things need to move faster or scale bigger. The kind that quietly slow onboarding, create extra work or make processes harder than they need to be. Some real stories in here that felt very familiar. If you’re thinking about improving how your team works this year, this is worth a read. 👉 Read the February edition here: https://lnkd.in/gGjqi45W https://dy.si/yVuRa12

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